Giselle ran into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
Taryn smiled. Terrified or not, the girl still had a small defiant streak.
While she was alone, Taryn pulled a few more items from her bag and placed them on top of the rickety dresser.
She’d built an hour for coaxing Giselle out of the bathroom into her schedule. Fortunately, it wasn’t nearly that long before the door opened and the girl stepped out. The worn towel mostly covered the girl’s slim figure.
She approached Taryn and the bed timidly.
“Sit down,” Taryn commanded.
Eyes wide, Giselle did what she was told.
Good. What Taryn was about to do was difficult. Unquestioning obedience would make it somewhat easier. She studied the supplies she’d laid out on the dresser. Picking up a scalpel and a topical anesthetic cream, she turned back to Giselle.
The girl’s face paled. “Please don’t hurt me.”
Taryn crouched and placed her hand on Giselle’s knee. The girl flinched, though she tried to hide it.
“I need you to listen to me very carefully. Do you understand?”
After a long moment, Giselle nodded.
Unfortunately, Taryn needed more. “Do you understand me?”
“Yes.” Giselle whimpered. “Please don’t hurt me.”
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Taryn said. Well, that wasn’t true. She wasn’t going to lie to her. “Scratch that, I am going to hurt you, but not for fun. I’m trying to help you.”
“How?” The single word trembled.
“Do you like your life?”
The girl stared at her like it was a trick question. “Do you?” Taryn added more force to her voice.
“No.” This time the girl’s voice was stronger.
“Good. I can get you out of it, but you have to do exactly what I say.”
Giselle looked around the room. Taryn was sure that she was looking for the trick. A hidden camera, unseen audio recorders. “The room is clean.” She wrinkled her nose at the bedspread underneath Giselle. “Electronically, at least. Do you want out?”
Giselle swallowed hard. “Yes.” Her voice was barely a whisper.
A wave of relief flowed through Taryn. If the girl had said no, she would have asked one more time, then returned her to her pimp after a few hours. She held Giselle’s gaze. “Are you ready to do exactly what I say?”
With a deep breath, Giselle nodded. “Yes.”
“Where’s your tracking device?”
“In my thigh,” Giselle said.
“Show me.”
With another deep breath, the girl pulled the towel aside and extended her leg.
Taryn tucked the towel down to help preserve the girl’s modesty. Giselle may have been on the streets long enough not to care, but Taryn believed it was never too early to help her rebuild her boundaries.
“Right here.” Giselle ran her finger over a scar inches from her sex.
